Things aren't as they seem
by Vixie Bing
Summary: [Chapter Four up] The gang are going on a ski trip but things take a desaterous turn for the worst. the next day things seem exactly the same. What's happening? Only Chandler and Phoebe can find out. pls R&R. C&M S.7
1. Just a Dream? No Way

Ok so this is just a rough copy, I'm going to change it later to add more detail but I just wanted to see if it was going to be a hit and whether I should bother or not. If you would like to see more then please leave a review once your finished reading. Thanx!!!  
  
BTW this is NOT a dream Chandlers' having ( And thanx once again to Tina who has helped me again (  
  
  
  
  
  
Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep  
  
Chandler looked over at the alarm clock and sighed. 7:38. the clock was getting a minute faster every day, he thought. He would have to have that fixed. He leaned over to kiss Monica who opened her eyes and kissed back. He sighed again as he got up to have a shower, gave Monica another kiss and walked out in to the living room.  
  
'Hey Chandler; Phoebe greeted as she stepped out of the spare room.  
  
'Hey' he said back and went to shower. After he got dressed in the bathroom he came back out in to the livingroom where the rest of the gang were already having breakfast. 'You're all early for a Saturday.' He said frowning.  
  
'Well we're going skiing today, remember?' said Monica.  
  
'Yeah, but instead of it being just us girls we were thinking maybe that you guys wanted to come along.' Rachel added. Joey and Ross looked up.  
  
'You mean we weren't invited in the first place?' exclaimed Joey. The girls started to look uncomfortable.  
  
'Well we uh thought that you might, um, want to hang out here and do, uh. guy.stuff.' Stuttered Phoebe, somewhat nervously. The guys looked sceptical.  
  
'Is that why the alarm was on this morning?' asked Chandler, it had crossed his mind. After all, it was a Saturday. Monica nodded.  
  
'So, you guys going to come with us? Or just hang out here?' Rachel asked. Chandler, Joey and Ross all leapt up at once. Of course they wanted to go!  
  
'Yeah!' They cried in unison.  
  
'Ok then I'll go pack you things Chandler' Monica said and ran off to the bedroom. Chandler just stared after her. There were times that her obsessiveness was cute, other times it was kinda scary.  
  
  
  
It was four hours later and they had reached Rachels' sisters skiing cabin. It was still quite early so they had loads of time left for skiing. Monica put a stop to these plans.  
  
'First things first, we need to get food in. then we should pack things away, decide where we're going to sleep and just get organized.' The gang paused in their activities. They only had this weekend and wanted to get as much skiing in as possible. They had a busy time up ahead of them and needed some time to relax. After a while they had reached a compromise. They would ski until the sun started to go down and then the girls would go in to town to get the food and the guys would get the blankets, get the fire going and collect the firewood.  
  
  
  
Up on the slopes Rachel and Phoebe were showing off their ski skills. Phoebe had finally gotten over her fear of the ski lift and ventured out in to the clean crisp white snow. Joey and Monica were getting ready to go up next. Ross and Chandler were happy enough sitting at the slope side café, just yards away from the ski lift. Ross had never been good at skiing and Chandler wasn't too keen to go on the bigger slopes just yet.  
  
'See you in a minute baby.' Monica said, kissing Chandler on the nose. She hurried over to where Joey was waiting for her at the ski lift and they both got on. Chandler turned back to where Ross was explaining exactly why the Flintstones were not real. Suddenly a scream rang out in the snow- covered hills. Chandler and Ross looked round to where it was coming from. The ski lift. The chair that Monica and Joey were on had started to creak and groan, milliseconds later the pole connecting the chair to the lift had started to snap. The chair was tilted to the side. Chandler and Ross stared up in shock as the pole suddenly snapped and the chair, Monica and Joey were sent plummeting down the 30ft drop.  
  
Dead. The word rang around Chandlers' head. He knew there had been little chance that his wife's battered body would have survived after being carried off in the air ambulance but he hadn't prepared himself to face it. Joey had been worse, and died instantly in the fall.  
  
Chandler was numb. Blackness swam back and forth in front of his eyes as he realised what he had lost. Rachel, Phoebe and Ross were in the relatives' room with him. Rachel and Phoebe were hugging each other and crying their hearts out over losing two of their best friends. Ross, like him, seemed too shocked to be able to cry. Maybe it hadn't quite sunk in. in either case he was there in the corner slightly swaying back and forth.  
  
He couldn't just sit there, he needed to walk places, do something to try and get himself out of this. this. nothingness. Feeling nothing, seeing nothing and hearing nothing.  
  
'Has anyone called their parents?' he croaked. His voice was horse and dry. Ross looked up and nodded briefly, saying that he had told his and Monicas' parents. Chandler stood up. He had to tell Joeys'.  
  
  
  
It had been hard, but good for him. Like finally admitting it. He had cries over the phone with one of Joeys' sisters. Ironically it had been Mary Angela, who thankfully hadn't hung up the phone as soon as she learned who it was. He felt the emotions pent up inside of him come out in huge waves, no longer feeling nothing but indescribable pain. Somehow this was better for him.  
  
The doctors had offered him something to help him sleep. At first he had refused but as the huge waves of blackness washed over him again he finally accepted. He lay down in a spare hospital bed and slowly let the drug carry him in to a dreamless sleep.  
  
Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep  
  
Chandler looked over at the alarm clock and sighed. 7:38. the clock was getting a minute faster every day, he thought. He would have to have that fixed. He leaned over to kiss Monica who opened her eyes and kissed back. Chandler suddenly shot up.  
  
'Monica?' he asked. Monica frowned.  
  
'Yeah, who were you expecting? She said smiling again. Oh that sweet precious smile, Chandler thought. He felt wired, that had definatly not been a dream. It was too real.  
  
Everything felt too surreal. He pinched himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming again. He wasn't and as if someone wanted to prove it more he knocked his foot on the door frame on the way out.  
  
'Hey Chandler' Phoebe said as she came out of the spare room.  
  
'Hey' Chandler replied. We went and sat down at the table trying to figure all of it out. As he was thinking the rest of the gang cam over and sat down as well. Monica made a start on breakfast. No mention was made of a ski trip. Chandler shook his head and decided not to beat himself up about it. It must have been a dream.  
  
'So what are you guys doing this weekend?' Ross asked.  
  
'Well we're going skiing today, remember?' said Monica.  
  
'Yeah, but instead of it being just us girls we were thinking maybe that you guys wanted to come along.' Rachel added. Joey and Ross looked up.  
  
'You mean we weren't invited in the first place?' exclaimed Joey. The girls started to look uncomfortable.  
  
'Well we uh thought that you might, um, want to hang out here and do, uh. guy.stuff.' Stuttered Phoebe, somewhat nervously. The guys looked sceptical. Chandler looked terrified. 


	2. Bad Dreams

Hiya people!! ( Thankyou so much for those who reviewed last time I had a brilliant response! I decided to get work on this right away and as a break from my coursework which is getting me down so much I'm starting to feel ill. Please review and make me feel better.  
  
Disclaimer: Ok, im clinically depressed and you want me to admit my worst nightmare.what kind of sick people are you? (not the readers the ff.net administrators.)  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Chandler sat there and tried to figure out what was happening. This was exactly what had happened in the 'dream'. Although he wasn't sure if he could call it a dream, it had felt too real. And if it had been a dream then was it a warning? Something to tell him not to go? Not to let the others go? Or was it just a bad dream?  
  
'Chandler?' He heard Monica call. He looked up and saw his friends staring down at him. 'Did you hear?' Chandler looked straight in to her eyes.  
  
'No sweetie, what did you say?'  
  
'I said; did you want to come with us on the skiing trip? Everyone else is coming.' Chandler didn't know what to do, he didn't understand it. But he had to do something; either stop them from going or stop Monica and Joey from going on that ski lift. He looked around at Phoebe and Rachel who were already excitedly discussing their plans. He knew there would be no way to keep them all behind so he decided to go with them.  
  
'Ok then I'll go pack you things Chandler' Monica said and ran off to the bedroom. Chandler just stared after her. He hoped this was just a freaky coincidence.  
  
  
  
Four hours later they arrived at Rachel's sisters skiing cabin. Everyone, except Chandler, was eager to get out on to the slopes and begin skiing but Chandler had to stop them. When Monica spoke up about getting everything prepared Chandler encouraged her.  
  
'Come on!' Rachel moaned, she was wearing her new ski gear she had bought last weekend and was hopping from foot to foot in anticipation.  
  
'Look, if we get ready and everything now then we have more time for skiing non-stop tomorrow.' Chandler said brightly, he hoped he could persuade them to stay.  
  
'How about if you and Monica go and get things ready and we all go out skiing.' Said Joey sarcastically. Chandler was willing though, this would mean Monica was safe and Joey wouldn't go on the ski lift on his own.  
  
'Ok!' Monica said excitedly, Ross rolled his eyes, he knew what they were really going to be doing while they were all out skiing.  
  
Soon after everyone had left Monica and Chandler set out for the shops to get some food. They picked up ingredients to make everyone's favourite foods and then got some wine; they weren't planning to go out with the others. It was an hour later and they got in the car to drive back to the cabin. Monica was driving, as usual; she hardly ever let anyone else drive her porche after Rachel almost crashed it. Chandler was looking at the wonderful landscape, the mountains and hills full of clear, crisp snow. Forests of pine trees, filling the air with their scent.  
  
Monica's cell phone rang. She leaned over to pick it up and answered it. She smiled as she realised it was Rachel but the smile vanished when she heard the news. She had one hand on the steering wheel as she drove down the narrow mountain roads and as Rachel continued talking it slowly slipped off. The car stated serving to the edge of the road, almost touching the safety barrier, separating the road from the sudden drop down below. Chandler yelled out and Monica snapped to attention, grabbing the steering wheel she turned the car back straight and the phone dropped to the floor. It was too late. An oncoming car swerved to avoid them and Monica swerved as well. Both cars managed to get past each other without falling over the barrier but whereas the oncoming car carried on afterwards as normal, Monica and Chandlers car did not. They had hit a patch of ice and skidded along the road. Monica was trying her best to get the car to stop but it wouldn't. with a sickening crunch the car through the wooden barriers on the other side and drove in to the pine forest. Seconds later they hit a tree.  
  
Dead. This time Chandler had to believe it. He was next to her in the car. He had seen how her side of the car had crumpled up, crushing in to her. He had been fine, that's what troubled him most. That he was perfectly fine and she had died. He was only fine on the outside, inside his heart was ripping apart. He knew this would happen, he had seen that she would die and still he had let it happen. He looked around the relatives room. It was a bleak room, a few chairs, dingy windows and a vase of almost wilting flowers on a small coffee table in the centre of the room. There was a vending machine in the corner with nothing in it. Ross and Rachel were over in another corner, hugging each other this time and Phoebe was to shocked to feel anything. Joey wasn't there.  
  
'Where's Joey?' He croaked. Three heads snapped in his direction. Rachel hiccupped and started to cry again, Ross seemed to not hear him but Phoebe walked over and led him out of the room.  
  
'There was an accident, on the ski lift. Joey fell 30 feet and died a little while after in hospital, right after the phone call to Monica actually.' She told him. Chandler stood there, even more shocked to be able to do anything. The ski-lift, the 30 foot drop, Joey and Monica dieing at around the same time. This was just like in the dream.  
  
Chandler sat down on a plastic orange chair in the hallway with his head in his hands. He could have stopped this, he could have saved them. but he failed. Phoebe sat by him.  
  
'Chandler?' She said after a while. He looked up at her. 'I know you're feeling bad honey, but you have to remember; things aren't as they seem.' She said. Chandler frowned. What did she mean by that last comment. She had seemed to be staring at nothing and what she had just said was not directly to him. She suddenly snapped to attention and looked back at him. Her voice went back to the comforting, soothing tone it was before. 'It wasn't your fault, there was nothing you could do.' Chandler closed his eyes, there was something he could have done, he could have prevented the whole thing. And he didn't try hard enough.  
  
'Have you called his parents?' Chandler asked. He remembered how he had felt nothing before and how it had helped to admit it. Phoebe shook her head and they walked to the pay phone. Someone was already using it so they waited at the side. They waited in silence, thinking about nothing in particular. Phoebe smiled.  
  
'You know Joey and I used to play a game, whenever he would ring home he would guess which one of his sisters would answer. It was weird, I always won.' She said, Chandler smiled as well.  
  
'All yours,' The guy using the phone said as he hung up. Phoebe took the phone off of him and dialled Joey's parents home number.  
  
'Mary Angela.' Chandler said. Phoebe looked at him. 'That's who I guess is on the other end of the phone' He explained. Phoebe nodded and was about to give her guess when someone picked up the phone.  
  
'Hello, this is Phoebe, who's this?' She said in to the phone. Her face froze slightly. 'Hi Mary Angela.' She said and looked at Chandler who gave a sad smile. He knew it would be her, it was yesterday and many things seemed to be the same so. 'Listen, I have some news.;  
  
  
  
Chandler went back to the relatives room and sat on a chair. He looked at the clock, 6:54. as it was winter it was just beginning to get slightly dark outside. He realised he was exhausted. All day he had been trying to figure out what had happened and now he had to deal with thousands of emotions that were pent up inside of him, all trying to rush out at once but getting caught on the way leaving Chandler to feel nothing but numbness. He couldn't believe they were really dead. And that he could have stopped it. Monica and Joey had died within minutes of each other. between 3:15 and 3:17. He let his head fall against the back of the chair and without realising it he drifted off to sleep.  
  
  
  
Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep  
  
Chandler looked over at the alarm clock and sighed. 7:38. the clock was getting a minute faster every day, he thought. He would have to have that fixed. He looked at Monica still sleeping by his side and memories of the past two days crashed down on him. This was definatly weird. 


	3. Predictable

Hey!! Here's the next chapter, sorry it took so long. Also sorry I kill Monica and Joey again (that was not a giveaway, it is the plot after all) but this is the last time (maybe)  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own these characters they belong to their original creators. ( I wish I could just have the two Matt's though)  
  
Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep  
  
Chandler looked over at the alarm clock and sighed. 7:38. the clock was getting a minute faster every day, he thought. He would have to have that fixed. He looked at Monica still sleeping by his side and memories of the past two days crashed down on him. This was definatly weird.  
  
He tried his best not to wake Monica as he got out of bed and got dressed. He walked in to the living room and past Phoebe on her way to the bathroom.  
  
'Hey Chandler.' She said. Chandler gave her a nervous smile and walked out the door. 'Wait! Where are you going?' She called after him.  
  
'I have to walk. I cant think, I need to think. I need to get out.' He rambled. He needed to think about this. How was it possible to be living the day over and over again? He couldn't have had two dreams. They were too real to be dreams. He didn't know where he was going as he walked. He just went where his feet took him. This ended up to be at Central Park. He sat down at a fountain and tried to think.  
  
'Excuse me, sorry' A middle aged lady said to Chandler as her dog came running up to him with a ball in his mouth giving Chandler a look which seemed to be begging for him to throw it. The lady came and grabbed the dogs collar to put it back on it's leash.  
  
'That's ok.' He said and smiled at her. The smile turned in to a frown when he realised he knew the woman. He just didn't know where from.  
  
'Is anything wrong?' She asked. It was then that Chandler realised he was staring at her. He shook himself out of it and apologised.  
  
'Sorry. it's just you remind me of someone. Have we met before at all?'  
  
'Not that I can think of. Maybe you've seen me at work. Im a nurse at St Allmans hospital.' Chandler froze. Now he remembered. She was one of the nurses at the hospital where Monica and Joey had been taken to. She was the nurse who had told him that Joey had been DOA (AN: that's Dead On Arrival if you don't know). He needed to know something.  
  
'Do you recognize me at all? Uh. you told me that one of my friends had arrived to that hospital dead. Im sure it was you.' The lady seemed to get a little uncomfortable. 'Look sorry but its important.' The lady shook her head and briefly explained that she had to go. As she walked away he turned to go home. He had to stop them from going on the ski trip. They mustn't go.  
  
Just as he started walking his pants started to ring. He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and remembered that he had left it there from yesterday.  
  
'Hello?' He said in to the phone.  
  
'Chandler! where the hell are you?' Monicas' voice replied. He realised he hadn't told anyone where he was going. 'Out for a walk' wasn't really a reason.  
  
'Sorry Monica honey. I had to walk. I don't know why.'  
  
'We were worried sick about you!' She said. Chandler winced, she sounded really upset. He heard her sigh. 'Uh. well do you want to go skiing with us today? We're all going but I didn't want to go if we didn't find you. We told Rachel and Phoebe they could go anyway but Ross said he'd rather visit Ben and Joey wanted to help me look for you.' Chandler formed an idea. He thought of a way that he could stop Monica and Joey from going skiing, and almost inevitably certain death. It was so simple. Just not go home. Then they would come look for him.  
  
'Monica. uh, I-I cant come home. Im going to stay in the city. Find me if you want but, uh, um low battery' He lied quickly and hung up the phone. Great, he thought, how would he get of this when they did find him? He didn't really care, it was better then them dieing.  
  
He walked around for ages, not really going anywhere. He wanted to be somewhere that they could find him but no somewhere that was really obvious that he'd be there. He walked around central park for about an hour, watching children playing and dogs running. He didn't know what was going on.  
  
He looked back over the last two days and considered what happened. He had woken up on a normal day, went on a ski trip with his friends and had a god time but then the terrible accident had happened and Monica and Joey died. At 3:16. that's when the accident had happened. And the next time, day, whatever, they had both died within minutes of each other between 3:15 and 3:17.  
  
'Chandler!!' he heard his voice being called. He looked over and saw Phoebe storming in his direction. He stood up and endured himself for what she may yell at him. 'What the hell are you doing?'  
  
'Phoebe, it's difficult to explain.' He said. How could he tell her when he didn't really know what was happening?  
  
'What are you doing here?' She asked, she didn't seem to have heard him.  
  
'What?' He asked. She stared at him and realised.  
  
'Monica and Joey. They're at the hospital.'  
  
  
  
Chandler slammed the door of his apartment as he came home. This could NOT be happening. Not again. Twice was way too many times already, he didn't need to lose his wife and best friend another time. He practically threw himself down on the sofa and sat there staring into nothing. He felt that awful feeling once more. The nothingness. He hated it. And he hated not knowing what was happening.  
  
He heard the door open and saw Phoebe enter the room. She walked over to him and sat next to him on the sofa. He sighed and said what he knew he had to say.  
  
'Has anyone told their parents?' He asked. He knew what the response would be; Monicas' parents had been told but not Joey's. they would then ring Joeys' parents home and Mary Angela would answer.  
  
'Ross called his parents but I don't think anyone has told Joey's.' She answered in a monotone. She sighed as she reached over to pick up the phone.  
  
'You know, me and Joey used to play this game; every time we called his parents house we would-'  
  
'Guess which sister would answer the phone and it was weird because you always won and then you start dialing and I'll say Mary Angela as my guess and it will be her on the other end of the line when someone answers and then you'll tell her.' Chandler finished for her. He had had it by now. He stood up and started to pace around the room and began speaking again, his voice raising with each sentence he said. 'And then it'll feel like we can actually admit that they're dead and then it will feel better coz I wont feel this nothingness anymore, I'll feel indescribable pain and then I'll fall asleep and wake up the next morning in bed with Monica and that STUPID broken alarm clock flashing 7:38 and then I will just relive this day again, with the ski trip, and Joey and Monica dieing around quarter past 3.' He finished off shouting.  
  
Phoebe stood up and looked at him. The phone dropped out of hand and fell silently on to the couch.  
  
'You're reliving this day over and over too?' She asked.  
  
  
  
Sorry this took along time and wasn't that long but I've been too busy with homework but now its half term I should finish it quite soon. Im also sorry that I keep killing them but that was the last time I promise. Please leave a review ( it really inspires me to write. 


	4. Fixing Things

Phoebe stood up and looked at him. The phone dropped out of hand and fell silently on to the couch.  
  
'You're reliving this day over and over too?' She asked. Chandler looked at her.  
  
'Too? You mean. y-your what? You know what's happening?' Chandler stuttered. It was one thing to be living this day over and over but it was something else to know someone else was doing it too.  
  
'Yeah, it started a couple of 'days' ago.' She said calmly, finger-quoting the days.  
  
'Do you know why?'  
  
'Um, yeah, I think so. It happened a while ago to me. You see.'  
  
'It's happened before? How do you stop it?' Chandler said, interrupting her and rushing over to the couch where she was standing.  
  
'Well I was just telling you. Listen!' Chandler nodded and sat down. 'It was about 2 years ago when you and Joey had that fight over whether or not 'Shutterspeed' was going to be a success. And then you and Monica went to Vegas and something went wrong. I don't know what it was because I stayed home with Ross and Rachel. Then I woke up the next day and everything was exactly the same.'  
  
'Ok. Uh. why? Why did everything repeat itself?'  
  
'I'm not exactly sure about that part but my psychic said that it was an unbalance in the universe that made time loop around so that someone could fix it. The person who relives the day over and over is the only person in the universe that can stop the unbalance and make everything right again.'  
  
'Wow.' Chandler said amazed.  
  
'Yeah, makes you feel kind of special doesn't it?' Phoebe said. Chandler nodded. This was all too much to take in. it was too weird  
  
'Wait. You said that the universe chooses one person to right it, there's two of us.' Chandler said. 'So what does that mean?' Phoebe shrugged.  
  
'That there are two things that need to be fixed?'  
  
'Ok. so how do we fix them?' Chandler asked. Phoebe shrugged again.  
  
'Well first of all we need to find out what needs to be fixed. What happened the last few days that maybe shouldn't have happened?' Phoebe said. Chandler stared at her, not believing that he had just asked that question.  
  
'Uh, HELLO?' He yelled, gesturing with his hands. 'One little thing that happened that last few days that definatly shouldn't have happened, you don't think it could possibly be Monica and Joey DIEING do you?'  
  
'Could be.'  
  
'Well, how do we stop them from dieing? I've tried it twice!'  
  
'Well, you're obviously no good at it then. Listen, I think it might be easier if you keep Monica safe and I keep Joey safe.'  
  
'So, What? If we keep them alive past quarter past three then they'll stay alive and we can get back to normal?'  
  
'Suppose so.' That was good enough for Chandler. all he wanted was for things to go back to normal. To have Monica by his side and Joey across the hall and to be happy again.  
  
  
  
  
  
Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep  
  
Chandler looked over at the alarm clock and sighed. 7:38. the clock was getting a minute faster every day, he thought. He would have to have that fixed. He leaned over to kiss Monica who opened her eyes and kissed back. He snuggled back down in the covers and tried to get them both back to sleep. No such luck.  
  
'Chandler baby, wake up.' Monica said groggily. Chandler mumbled something incomprehensible and snuggled down deeper, taking Monica with him. She started giggling. 'Chandler, come on, we cant stay here all day. I said I'd go skiing with the girls and we were going to get everyone to come.'  
  
'Nah, I have a better idea. Why don't we just stay here? We'll have the whole place to ourselves the whole weekend. No friends barging in, no Phoebe popping up and the most inconvenient moments, just me and you.' He said in a husky voice. Monica giggled and kissed him deeply.  
  
'Come on baby, we've been working so hard these last few months, now might be the last time we get some time off for a while.' Monica said, her dark hair fanning over the crisp white sheets. Chandler pulled a face that was in mock offence.  
  
'You don't want to spend time with me?' He said in a simpering voice. Monica suppressed a giggle and sighed.  
  
'You know I want to spend time with you, it's just I want to spend time with Phoebe and Rachel too. I don't get to hang out with them as much now and so time I spend with them is special. Every single second I spend with you is special to me so I thought you wouldn't mind it if we spent a few of those precious moments in the company of our friends who we should really have more precious moments with but don't.'  
  
'Wow that was a very convincing 'no'' Chandler said. His mind was whirring. He had to keep Monica safe and secure. 'They said on the news that there'd be bad weather this weekend. Maybe it would be better if we stayed home.' He said and started nibbling on her ear. 'Stay in bed. Do whatever we want.' He looked at her hopefully. She smiled and kissed Chandler as they completely disappeared under the covers and Chandler won the first disagreement with Monica in their whole relationship. And most probably the last as well.  
  
  
  
  
  
Out in the kitchen Phoebe was having a harder time convincing Joey to stay home.  
  
'But Phoebes I wanna go skiing!' Joey was moaning. Rachel was making the coffee and Ross was looking distastefully at Monica and Chandlers room where it was evident what was going on.  
  
'So I take it they aren't joining us?' Ross said. Rachel tried to distract him with breakfast.  
  
'Come on, their happy together, and he is marrying her soon.' Phoebe tried to reason. She didn't want anyone to try and convince Monica to come with them. Anyway he had it easy, she had to sleep in the room next to them. 'Joey, please help me find a bridesmaid dress that Monica would approve of.' She said in a simpering voice.  
  
'At least you get to choose your dress. Monica chooses mine.' Rachel said.  
  
'Do you know how hard it is to find a dress that Monica likes?' Phoebe moaned.  
  
'Well in that case I'm definatly not going.' Joey said and went back to eating his cereal. Phoebe sighed. She hadn't guessed it would be hard at all to distract Joey. She wasn't even sure how she would keep him out of danger. She just felt that keeping him away from skiing would help.  
  
'Please Joey. It wouldn't be the whole time, it would just be the morning. Later on we could see a movie, go to a bar. I'll buy you lunch.' She pleaded. That was enough to persuade Joey.  
  
'Wait, so all four of you are ditching us?' Ross asked. Joey and Phoebe looked guilty as Ross and Rachel stared at them. Phoebe had to think quick to get herself out of this one.  
  
'Well. uh, I was thinking, seeing as Chandler and Monica are going to be spending some quality time together and me and Joey are spending quality time together, maybe you two should spend some quality time together.' She said, and while she was speaking she had another idea. The gang had noticed Ross and Rachel had seemed closer these last few weeks and if they had a weekend totally alone together then maybe, just maybe they would get back together. Phoebe smiled at the idea.  
  
'Ok then' Rachel said, they seemed to have accepted it.  
  
'Great!' Phoebe yelled excitedly.  
  
  
  
  
  
Chandler and Monica slept well in to the day, curled up next to each other under the covers. Sunlight crept through the curtains and sprawled across the crisp sheets. Monica stirred slightly as a car alarm sounded outside but didn't wake. Chandler leaned up to look at his fiancé, her face lit up by the dim light and sighed as he realised how lucky he was, not only to have the most beautiful woman in the world to go out with him, let alone marry him, but also to have another chance to get her back. She didn't deserve to die the ways she had the past few days. She deserved to die an old lady, warm and cosy in her bed. With loads of children and grandchildren in a big house in the rural areas, having lived her life to the full and all her dreams accomplished. Not in a horrible ski lift accident, not in a crumpled car on the side of a mountain and not in the middle of a crowded New York street, the only one next to her as she left this world one of her best friends already dead and a apologetic truck driver.  
  
'I love you so much sweetheart.' Chandler whispered and kissed her lightly on the cheek. Monica stirred again and opened her eyes.  
  
'I love you too.' She said and leaned up to kiss him. He deepened the kiss and moved closer to each other, ready to prove to each other how much in love thy were.  
  
  
  
  
  
'Come on Joey!' Phoebe sighed. He was taking forever. How long did it take to choose beer?  
  
'I'll just be a minute Phoebes, calm down.' Joey said, his voice muffled from being inside the fridge at the off licence. Phoebe sighed again and looked around the shop. She was quite pleased with herself for getting Joey through this much of the day without anything happening. Still, he wasn't safe until quarter past three. She found the clock hanging on the wall above the counter. Half past two. Almost there.  
  
'How can I help you?' The woman at the till said as Joey finally picked out his beer.  
  
'Just these thanks.' Phoebe said. She was in a rush to get Joey home safe. She had a bad feeling creeping over her. And she didn't like the way the men outside her looking at the shop. She started drumming her fingers nervously on the counter top as they walked inside. Her heart was racing. The next few seconds seemed to drag out forever. The five men pulled balaclavas over their heads and guns out of their pockets as they advanced towards the counter.  
  
'Everybody down!' The largest man yelled, waving his gun to emphasise that he was in control. Without warning the gun went off and everybody ducked. The bullet hit Joey in the stomach and he bent over, blood started to leak out on to his shirt.  
  
  
  
'Mmm, do you want a drink baby?' Monica asked. Chandler shook his head tiredly as he pulled his pants up. Monica blew him a kiss and walked out into the kitchen. Chandler pulled a shirt over his head and followed her.  
  
'Glad you stayed home now?' He asked. Monica gave him a big smile and nodded. She pulled a bottle of yellow liquid out of the fridge and poured herself a glass. Chandler sat down at the kitchen table to watch her. He loved watching her, no matter what she was doing. He looked at the clock. Half past two. Almost there. Another forty five minutes and they would be safe. His thoughts were interrupted when Monica started to make chocking sounds. Chandler rushed over to her as the glass slid out of her hand and smashed in to thousands of pieces on the floor. He held her in his arms as she continued to choke. She looked in horror at the bottle she had just poured from, so did Chandler and he immediately noticed Monica mistake. 'Floor Cleaner' was written in faded black letters under the bigger label stating that it was lemonade.  
  
'Oh God.' Chandler said. He couldn't believe it. Not again. He picked her up off the floor, picked up the bottle and carried her downstairs to the car.  
  
  
  
  
  
Half an hour later Chandler was sitting in the waiting room. He held his head in his hands and held back the tears that were inevitable to come.  
  
'Mr Bing?' The doctor said as he came out of Monicas hospital room. Chandler stood up and waited for the news of Monicas condition.  
  
'Is she going to be alright?' He asked. He felt he didn't need to though. It was almost three and that meant that there was only quarter of an hour until Monica would die. He had failed again.  
  
'Her condition is quite serious. That was a strong disinfectant that she drank and it burnt the inside of her throat and her stomach lining. She's on a respirator right now but her condition is still unstable. We've pumped her stomach and she's under constant supervision. There's nothing else we can do for now except wait. You can see her now.' He said and led Chandler in to the room.  
  
His heart leapt to his throat as he saw his fiancé laying on the hospital bed. Her beautiful dark hair was spread over the white sheets and her skin was a deathly pale white. She was hooked up to the respirator and a few other machines that were all beeping with lines on. He sat down next to her bed and held on to her hand.  
  
  
  
Phoebe cling on to Joey's hand as if it were the only thing keeping her on the earth. She couldn't believe it was going to happen again, that she had failed. It was three o'clock, that meant that there was only quarter of an hour until Joey died and they would have to start all over again. She was only glad that they had gotten to the hospital so quickly. When Joey had been shot the four other men had run off scared and the other man was left standing there. Phoebe thought they didn't actually know what they were actually doing, and were just amateurs. The police had turned up a few minutes later with an ambulance and Joey was rushed to the hospital.  
  
Now he was unconscious and hooked up to machines that were keeping him alive. The doctors had done all they could and now it was up to fate. Phoebe sighed. She knew what fate had in store for Joey.  
  
  
  
Chandler looked up at Monica again. He had been crying in to her shoulder, wishing that he could have her back, that he could find a way to stop her from dieing. He held on to her hand and sighed. He knew he had to say goodbye again. As he bent down to kiss her hand he noticed the time on his watch. Half past three. Half past three! She was still alive and it was past quarter past three. He had done it!  
  
  
  
Phoebe looked at the time. Half past three. She looked back down at Joey, his face was deathly pale and the beeps on the machines were so faint she was sure that he was gone. It was past time anyway. She looked at his face and let out a gasp as his eyes fluttered open.  
  
  
  
'You guys! What happened?' Rachel yelled at Chandler and Phoebe. It was seven o'clock that night and Ross and Rachel had only just returned from the ski cabin.  
  
'Are they alright? We came as soon as we got your message.' Ross added. Chandler smiled.  
  
'Doctors say they're going to be fine. Monica's sleeping right now but she's allowed home on Monday. She'll be ok but her throats going to hurt for a while.' Chandler told them.  
  
'And they said Joey's condition is now stable. He's gone back into theatre right now but he'll be fine. They need to keep him in hospital for a while though.' Phoebe added. 'Chandler can I talk to you for a moment?' Phoebe said, gesturing over to a quiet hallway. Chandler nodded and followed her over there.  
  
'Do you think that's it now?' He asked her as soon as they were out of earshot. Phoebe looked at him.  
  
'We'll see.'  
  
  
  
Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep  
  
Chandler looked over at the alarm clock and smiled. 7:30. he had fixed the clock the second he got home with Monica, after making her comfortable of course. He reached over and switched it off. He leant over and gave Monica a kiss on the cheek. She opened her eyes and kissed back.  
  
'Do you have to go to work today sweety?' She croaked. It was Tuesday by now after all. Chandler shook his head.  
  
'Nah, I think I'll stay with you today.' He said and smiled. He could finally get on with his life again.  
  
  
  
Well that's it. What did you think? Please leave a review to tell me. If I made any small mistakes I apologise and if you tell me what they are I'll correct them. Thankyou all for reading.  
  
Love Vixie XXxxXX 


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